Kuala Lumpur : Pakistan Red Crescent Society held a two-day Partnership Meeting in Malaysia, bringing together National Societies from across the world. Convened after nine years, the meeting focused on strengthening partnerships, enhancing institutional capacity, and improving humanitarian outreach in Pakistan. By gathering partners in one central location, PRCS aimed to deepen dialogue, mobilize collective resources, and advance cooperation in areas such as Climate Change, Health and Care, and support for Migration and Displacement.
The gathering brought together senior leaders including the President of the Iraqi Red Crescent Society Dr. Yaseen Ahmed Abbas, Regional Director of IFRC Asia Pacific Alexander Matheou, Head of IFRC Country Delegation in Pakistan Farid Abdulkadir, Head of ICRC in Pakistan Christoph Sutter, Head of Office German Red Cross in Pakistan Asif Aman Khan, Head of Norwegian Red Cross in Pakistan Dr. Ulugbek Khusenovich Aminov, and Head of Turkish Red Crescent in Pakistan Beyza Tuner. Delegations from the Canadian, Italian, Chinese, Singapore, British, Japanese, Qatari, Australian, and Malaysian Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, along with corporate partners, also joined the discussions.
PRCS and its provincial branches will prioritize several areas to strengthen humanitarian work nationwide. These include system development to improve transparency and accountability, reinforcing PRCS’s auxiliary role through stronger coordination with government stakeholders, expanding the youth and volunteer network, and strengthening financial sustainability through local partnerships and diversified resource mobilization.
Participants were briefed on the PRCS Transformation Plan and Strategic Plan, highlighting ongoing efforts to improve systems and processes for more effective service delivery. Thematic sessions presented updates on Climate Change Adaptation, Migration and Displacement, and Health and Wellbeing. The second day centered on commitments from partner National Societies, moderated by Alexander Matheou.
Chairperson Farzhana Naek welcomed participants and noted that the meeting marks a key step in PRCS’s transformation journey. She thanked partners for their support and expressed hope for stronger collaboration to better serve vulnerable communities.
Dr. Yaseen Ahmed Abbas praised PRCS for creating a platform that brings together partners to strengthen coordination and exchange ideas for a more resilient future. The Heads of Delegation from IFRC and ICRC, along with PRCS Secretary General Mr. Muhammad Abaid Ullah Khan, underscored the growing humanitarian needs in Pakistan and the importance of collective action.
The Chairperson also held sideline meetings with delegations from the Canadian Red Cross, German Red Cross, Red Cross Society of China, and Iraqi Red Crescent Society.
The meeting concluded with a shared resolve to strengthen partnerships and work together to address evolving humanitarian challenges in Pakistan.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
